Caption: Hamilton EMS Chief Rick Cobb presented Dalton firefighter Dale Stratton (second from left) with the First Responder of the Year award
Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Dalton Public Safety Commission opened with a special recognition of Dalton firefighter Dale Stratton. Mr. Stratton was recognized with Hamilton Emergency Medical Services’ First Responder of the Year Award. The award is voted on by Hamilton EMS paramedics and staff.
Chief Rick Cobb noted when presenting the award to Mr. Stratton, who was not told before the meeting that he would be receiving the honor, that EMTs praised his attention to providing excellent patient care and giving detailed reports to paramedics arriving on scene about the condition of his patients.
Also at Tuesday morning’s meeting, the Public Safety Commission confirmed by unanimous vote the appointment of new officer Ben Ridley. Ridley was sworn in on March 25 after graduating from the police academy but his hiring was not official until this morning’s confirmation.
Officer Ridley graduated March 21 from the Georgia Public Safety Training Center’s Athens Regional Police Academy with honors as the class’ top academic performer. Officer Ridley graduated with honors from North Georgia College and State University in 2012. He was born and raised in northwest Georgia, graduating from Murray County High School in 2008.